


Worlds in Between

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Brothers, F/M, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-12 12:11:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13547070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The Winchesters team up with the Durin brothers and learn the true meaning of brotherhood as they are forced to survive in a world where nature itself seems to want them dead. Lots of hurt/comfort. Features some OCs.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s another Supernatural/Hobbit crossover fic! I started one and now I just can’t stop! Honestly, I don’t know where I am going with this one, I just thought of it on a whim. But it features lots of hurt/comfort and lots of brotherly affection. It will also feature cannon/OC pairings later when the boys meet my OCs. Anyway, like all my other stories, it’s not 100% canon, so be warned, canon nazis. Takes place sometime in season 13 of supernatural and the third Hobbit movie. There will be plenty of blood and guts so be warned about that, and there may, later on, be some mild sexuality, but I will warn you when and if that comes about. So yeah, hope you like!
> 
> Disclaimer: Of course I don’t own anything of the supernatural or hobbit awesomeness!

Fili lowered Kili down onto the cave floor and watched as Dean did the same. The sight of the orc's blade protruding from his little brother's upper left torso was sickening. He turned to Dean, "you said you've been to this world before," he said as Dean made sure Sam was comfortable, as comfortable as he could be with blood leaking out of a bullet hole in his gut.

"Not long enough for the grand tour," Dean said. "Just a few days. Long enough to know we need to get back."

Fili sighed. Right now all he cared about was his brother, and he could tell Dean was thinking the same thing. They had arrived in this world at almost the same time. Dean had called it a portal into another world, said the portal must have punched through straight through to Middle Earth, and he and Kili had fallen in by accident. However it had happened, they were all trapped. The portal had long since closed and who knows when it would open again.

Kili's pain filled whimper brought Fili back to reality. He knelt by his brother, staring down into wide brown eyes filled with pain and fear. "It needs to come out," he said, trying to appear calmer than he felt. Kili shook his head, "n-n… hurts…" Fili bit back the welling feeling of terror trying to take him over. What was he going to do? He was no healer. Sure, Oin had taught them a thing or two about basic survival, and the one thing that Oin had imparted to them was never remove a blade. You could do more damage. Wait for a healer to do it. But there was no healer, and the blade would get infected if it was left in too long. What was he going to do?

As he sat on the hard dirt cave floor, the piercing darkness of night punctuated only by the glow of the fire Dean had started, which illuminated the cave around them. It was a massive cave, it staved off the cold wind well enough, the fire positioned between them, and the wide cave entrance made Fili feel warm and secure.

"I have a medical kit," Dean offered as he knelt down beside his own brother, placing the white metal box down on the floor between the two wounded figures, both groaning in pain. "It has alcohol and some gauze."

"I have to get the blade out of my brother's body," Fili explained, fixing the other man with a serious look. Deep blue eyes met green ones as there seemed to be an understanding between them. They were both protecting their little brothers here, and nothing else mattered right now. "Wait," Dean prompted, and Fili hesitated. "Help me help my brother first, he'd bleeding badly, and I need to get the bullet out. Then we'll remove the blade together; it has to be done carefully."

Fili swallowed and looked down at Kili. His brother's painful whimpers pulled at Fili's heart. He knew Dean was right, the blade was keeping Kili from bleeding out completely, but as he glanced over, he saw the dark, slick blood covering Sam's shirt. The shaggy-haired human groaned weakly as he squeezed his eyes tight against the pain. Fili leaned down to Kili, "I'll be right here, brother," he promised. Kili shivered, and Fili frowned. He quickly pulled off his outer blue jerkin and spread it out over his brother then hurried around him to lean over Sam.

"Hold the flashlight," Dean instructed, handing Fili the strange light producing cylinder. Fili aimed it at the wound in Sam's side while Dean heated a blade over the fire. Fili winced for Sam as his body tensed up as his eyes followed Dean. He knew what was coming.

"Alright Sammy," Dean said as he came back over to Sam's side. "This is going to hurt, but I need to do it, okay?"

"I know…" Sam stuttered out, squeezing his eyes closed as if preparing himself. Fili held the flashlight in one hand and braced Sam's shoulder with the other while Dean pulled up Sam's shirt and quickly went to work.

As soon as the heated blade touched his skin, Sam cried out, squirming and arching his back. Fili struggled to hold him down by the shoulder while Dean dug into the wound, carefully, trying to find the bullet.

"Almost got it," he said to Sam, who only responded by crying out louder. Fili could tell he was trying hard not to squirm, trying to be strong and hold still for his brother, but it must have been agony, as his whole body shook with pain wracked tremors.

Finally, what felt like an agonizing eternity, Dean pulled the bullet from Sam's body and quickly set about sanitizing and bandaging the wound. "Its okay," Dean leaned down to soothe Sam's long hair. Fili watched them for a moment, seeing Sam visibly calm at his brother's comforting words. Then Dean took off his jacket and draped it over Sam, "worst part's over," he told him before turning his attention to Fili, nodding in thanks. Fili only swallowed. It was Kili's turn.

"I'm worried about infection in this place," Dean confided in Fili as Sam drifted into unconsciousness, "not to mention shock. Come on, let's get that blade out."

Fili moved around to Kili's other side, turning his attention to his own brother, who had been suffering behind them the entire time. Fili continued to hold the flashlight but gripped Kili's hand tight while Dean examined the blade carefully. Kili tensed.

"It hurts, Fee…" Kili whimpered, his eyes wide and wet with tears as Dean pulled back the jerkin and Kili's own layers of armor and leather to get a closer look.

"I'm not a doctor," Dean told Fili. "But I don't think it hit any organs. I think I have to open the wound further though, to get the blade out." He turned to rummage through the medical kit then quickly went about heating up another knife. The one covered in Sam's blood wouldn't help here.

Kili reacted to that bit of information by squirming away from Dean. "No…" he rasped, trying to get closer to his brother. "Please… Fili, don't let him…"

Fili leaned over Kili's trembling form and soothed his dark hair. "I'm sorry, Brother," he said softly. "We have to. We have to get it out, okay?"

"Fili don't leave me," Kili urged, gripping Fili's hand tight.

"Of course I won't," Fili replied. "I'd never leave you, Kili. I'm going to be right here." Kili calmed for a moment, then quickly tensed up as he felt Dean go to work on him. He cried out, squeezing his eyes closed as Dean carefully cut into the skin around the blade, trying to wedge it out. Finally, with a sickening thud, the blade gave way, and Dean pulled it out. Blood poured out of the wound immediately. His brother's lifeblood. Dean quickly pressed clots of cloth and gauze into it to stem the flow. After more moments of agony, Kili suddenly stilled beneath them, giving in to unconsciousness. Fili felt slight relief at knowing his brother wasn't in pain anymore. He watched as Dean expertly stitched, cleaned, and bandaged wound.

Fili let out a heavy sigh as he let himself fall against the wall of the cave. He watched as Dean moved back to Sam, checking on him before leaning against the opposite wall and gazing over at the dwarf. Relief filled his expression too. Their brothers were taken care of. Not out of the woods by any means, but for the moment, they were both stable. Now they could turn to other matters.

"You aren't human," Dean surmised, glancing over at Fili before leaning over to stoke the fire. Fili raised a brow. He didn't know what kind of a world Dean had come from; he could never imagine a world beyond Middle Earth. He just shook his head, "I'm a dwarf," he explained. Dean seemed to ponder this bit of information. Silence fell between them as each of them became lost in thought. The sound of the crackle of the fire and the howl of the wind outside, and the pain hitched breathing of their sleeping brothers in front of them, were the only noises heard.

Fili's thoughts were of the future and the past. How he and Kili came to be in this situation. They had been trying to escape Azog. They'd gone on ahead of Thorin and Dwalin to scout and became trapped by the massive orc. In a desperate fight, Kili had been hurt, and Fili had managed to escape with him into the depth of the fortress of Ravenhill. It was then that he had seen the portal. It was like a massive line of fire floating in thin air; it seemed to come out of nowhere. He and Kili had been to close to it, and they fell in. They found themselves in the middle of a jungle and for a moment, Fili thought it was Mirkwood forest, but there was something entirely different about this place. Seconds after their arrival, the portal spat out Sam and Dean and then disappeared.

Fili didn't have time to be suspicious of the newcomers. He was forced into having to trust them. After all, his brother was hurt, and he had seen that Sam was hurt too. None of them could have put up much of a fight. They'd introduced themselves during a hasty trek through the forest to the cave.

And as for the future, Fili glanced over at Dean. "We must survive here," he pointed out. "And we must find our way back."

"Only very powerful beings can open the portal," Dean pointed out with a shrug as he busied himself with taking inventory of the supplies he had. Bandages, gauze, alcohol, knives, guns, a few bottles and vials of substances Fili couldn't identify. "Like the son of Satan. We aren't any of them."

"We were in the middle of a war," Fili explained urgently. "A battle to reclaim our homeland. We can't just abandon the fight."

Dean stopped what he was doing and fixed Fili with an incredulous look. "You think I don't want to get back too?" he snapped hotly. As the light of the fire danced across his face, Fili thought he looked tired, worn. A man who had seen too much terror in his life. "Look, my brother and I managed to get back before; we can again. We just have to focus on survival until then."

"How did you get back the first time?" Fili asked. Dean shrugged, "friends rescued us. Maybe they will again, I don't know. But I can tell you that although Sam and I only spent a few days in this place the first time, that it's not a pleasant place. The few living things we encountered tried to kill us. Aside from that giant puff monster, we saw from before, who knows what else lives here. The only way we are going to survive is if we work together."

Fili regarded the other man with suspicion yet respect. As a dwarf, he'd always been taught to be suspicious of anyone who wasn't also a dwarf. Humans, mainly, could be unpredictable. But this man had already saved Kili's life, and he had trusted Fili enough to help save Sam's life. And, there was the one inescapable truth and understanding between them. The fact that they were both big brothers. That fact alone made Fili want to trust this man. He'd seen Dean treat Sam with the same love and devotion that he had always had for Kili. The love that only someone who had grown up responsible for another person could know. Fili had grown up with responsibility. He was Thorin's heir, the next king of Erebor. That burden had been placed on his shoulders since birth. But more importantly to Fili than the kingdom could ever be, was the dark haired dwarf who lay sleeping at his feet before him. His little brother. He'd give up his claims to the throne in a heartbeat for Kili. He had to protect Kili no matter what. His father told him before he died to look after Kili. His mother, his uncle, they'd all given him this one charge, far more critical than any other, and he'd accepted it wholly and completely.

And as Fili looked across at Dean, the light reflecting in his face as he checked on Sam again, he could tell, he had no doubt, that someone, somewhere, had told him the same thing.  _Look after your brother._  So here, in this land, Fili decided, that he and Dean would do just that. Kili and Sam would survive no matter what.


	2. Chapter two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, hope you like this story so far. I admit, I’m still kinda winging it, not quite sure where it’s going. I could certainly use a beta or a co-writer, PM me if interested. Anyway, not sure how I feel about this chapter but I promise future chapters will be more exciting.

Sam groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. Pain filled his senses as he lifted his head from the cave floor and tried to look around.

“Hey,” Dean appeared in his line of vision, coming over to kneel by his brother. “How are you feeling?”

“Like hell,” Sam admitted through gritted teeth. He glanced around as he recalled what had happened the night before. To his left, the little dark haired dwarf slept under the blue jerkin his brother had draped over him. His face was pale and hinted at the pain he was in, even in his sleep.

“Where is the other dwarf?” Sam asked as Dean helped him sit up against the cave wall. He didn’t think he felt like doing much else than just sit up. “He went to survey the area,” Dean said. “I hope he’s going to be looking for water. Or food.”

Sam groaned, “not really in the mood for barbequed lizard today, Dean,” he muttered as he winced against the pain in his side. Dean smirked, “oh come on you know my barbeque skills made that thing taste like prime rib.” Dean’s expression changed to one of concern and sympathy as he watched his brother struggle with the pain.

“Sorry, Sammy,” Dean said. “I patched you up as well as I could, but that bullet went in pretty deep. You are going to be okay though, you hear me?” Sam nodded. He didn’t feel okay, but he knew his brother was trying to reassure himself as much he was trying to comfort Sam. Dean was worried. Sam didn’t need things spelled out for him either. He was hurt seriously. They were in a cave in some jungle. Their chances weren’t good.

Sam grunted as he gazed towards the cave opening with unease. “No sign of that hooded woman or that giant… thing from before?” he asked.

“Not yet,” Dean replied just as they heard a groan from beside them. Sam turned to see two brown eyes staring up at them from under the blue jerkin.

“Where’s Fili?” the dwarf demanded wearily as he struggled to move. Dean moved over to help him sit up against the cave wall beside Sam.

“Scouting,” Dean responded. “He said you two were good at that sort of thing.”

“Yeah,” Kili replied with a wince. “We scouted for the company because we were the youngest. Quicker and keener eyesight than the older dwarves.”

Sam glanced at the little dwarf, regarding him for a moment. He noticed Kili’s eyes darting towards the cave entrance, concern for his brother evident.

“Dean,” Sam said, turning his attention to his own brother who settled down in front of them and began sifting through the medical kit and weapons they had managed to bring with them. Kili watched too. Dean glanced at them for a brief moment then continued to their inventory. Sam was glad the two of them had been on a hunt before they’ve been brought into this world. They had come prepared with equipment. Guns, knives, ammo, medical supplies, salt, holy water, silver bullets, their EMF reader, plenty of other items they’d grabbed from the trunk of the impala. Now those things would be necessary if they were to survive here.

“Are you two wizards?” Kili asked before Dean could respond to Sam. Sam glanced down at him, “what makes you say that?” he asked.

“The bottles and vials,” Kili said, licking his dry lips and coughing, wincing hard. “Either a wizard or an apothecarist.”

Sam sifted through his thoughts, trying to figure out how to respond. Usually, when meeting someone, they came up with a story to tell people they met. Few would believe the truth after all. But seeing as how these two had already come from another world, he thought that made things easier.

“We’re… hunters,” Sam explained. “We hunt monsters and creatures that prey on humans. Creatures that no one else believes exists.”

“You know,” Dean piped up. “Vampires, werewolves, spirits, that sort of thing.”

Kili blinked as if trying to absorb what they had told him. Sam looked him over, “what kinds of things exist in your world?”

“Many things,” Kili responded slowly. “Orcs, goblins, trolls, wargs… elves, hobbits, wizards, sorcerers. But I have never seen the things you speak of. Spirits, things that aren’t quite alive… those are just stories and myths told to dwarflings to frighten them.”

“You wish,” Dean said with a shrug, “if they exist in our world, they can exist in yours too. Probably just haven’t found their way in just yet.”

Kili seemed to ponder this, but eventually, he gave in to the pain and the exhaustion he must have been feeling and drifted off back to sleep, Sam turned to Dean again, “Dean,” he said earnestly, waiting for his brother to meet his gaze. Green eyes narrowed at him as they waited for him to continue.

“You realize that if no one from the main reality comes for us like last time, we might be stuck here for a long time,” Sam pointed out. Dean flinched. Sam knew his brother was well aware of the precariousness of their situation, but he also knew that Dean was trying his best to avoid thinking about the worst-case scenarios.

“Yeah Sam, I know,” Dean muttered, not pausing in his inventory management to even look up at his brother. Sam watched him for a moment. He realized Dean had been poring over the same items. Inventory and then re-inventory. The task wouldn’t have taken his brother this long unless he was doing in to avoid having to consider other situations.

“We can’t stay in this cave forever,” Sam explained. “It would be best if we were on the move. If we stay here, we’ll attract attention. I don’t know if you remember the last inhabitants we encountered.”

“Yeah I remember, Sam,” Dean said irritably. He finally glanced over at his brother. “Look I get it, Sam. But I’m a long way from going all Land of the Lost over here and just giving up. If there’s a way in, there’s a way out. We just have to find it.”

Sam sighed. That wasn’t the whole point he was trying to make. He knew Dean wouldn’t want to hear what else he had to say. Sam knew he was hurt; he was hurt badly. Pain coursed through his body and although he was sure his brother had patched him up properly, just as their father had taught them, he knew recovery was going to be long and hard, and he knew he couldn’t put up much of a fight if something found them. The idea of Dean getting hurt or killed trying to defend him was unpalatable, and it wasn’t something he wanted to see happen.

It seemed that Dean knew what Sam was thinking because he dropped what he was doing and scrambled over to his brother until his face was mere inches from Sam’s. He gripped Sam’s face with both hands, fixing him with a very determined glare, “don’t even say it,” he warned. “Don’t you dare pull the whole ‘go on without me’ shit on me Sam, I swear I don’t want to hear it.”

“You have to face reality, Dean,” Sam said. “I’ll just slow-”

“I don’t care if ten of those giant things show up here, I’m not leaving you here. We either both survive this or we both die here, together, got it?”

Sam stared at his brother, Dean still sandwiching his face between his hands. Search as he might, he couldn’t find any way to argue with his brother. He knew Dean was deadly serious. There was no changing his mind, not for anything. Finally, Sam relented, “okay but let’s try to find a way out of here before we have to all Dahmer Party on each other. Because that would be awkward.”

“Right,” Dean said with a sigh as he released his grip on his brother and moved back. “Now that you mention it I sure could use me some pie.”

00000  
Fili couldn’t believe his luck as he knelt over the two rabbits he’d managed to capture. He glanced to his left, at the river that flowed quickly a few short feet from where he was crouching on the rocks, concentrating on cleaning the rabbits.

He’d been lured here by the sounds of rushing water. He’d used his sword to mark up trees so he’d remember how to get to the cave. When he’d finally arrived in view of the river, he’d seen a large number of rabbits hopping along the banks of the river, completely unaware. He’d been quick to take cover in the brushes before the little creatures became aware of them. Some did startle and scatter, but as he waited patiently, the began to gather back at the river.  
Fili was by no means as stealthy and agile as an elf, nor was he as at ease in the trees as the pointy ears would have been, but he’d been properly taught to hunt. Survival skills were a necessity for any dwarf warrior who ever planned to stray too far from his home village. And Fili and Kili had had the benefit of growing up under the tutelage of their Uncle Thorin and other able-bodied warriors such as Dwalin and Balin. They’d all passed down particular skills to the young princes.

The blonde prince had managed to snag three rabbits easily with his throwing axes before the rest of them scattered back into the bush. He’d hurried down to the banks of the river to claim his prizes and pulled out a knife to begin to clean and gut the meat. They’d be eating well tonight.

Fili filled some canteens he’d brought with him and strung the rabbit meat onto a stick, standing as he prepared to return to the cave. As he started back on his path, his ears picked up a faint sound. A soft feminine voice on the winds, so quiet he’d barely heard it. He gazed around, trying to pinpoint the source. As he moved along the banks towards the sound, he crouched low. A few yards in, the voice got louder. Someone was singing.

Fili followed the river and moved up a small ledge, crouching in the bushes as he peered below. He saw a figure in the water. Red curly hair swaying with the movements as what appeared to be a child stood ankle deep in the water on the opposite side of the river. Her back turned, she seemed to be picking berries from a bush that dangled in the water. She wore a plain brown cotton dress, and her thick red curls pulled back with a ribbon.

The blonde dwarf watched for awhile, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Who was this girl? Where did she come from? The pleasant melodies she hummed told him she was at ease in the river; perhaps she lived here? Fili stood from his hiding place.  
“Hey,” he called. The girl gasped and whirled to face him. He couldn’t quite see her face from this distance, but he did catch sight of the pointed ears protruding from the sides of her head. She was no child at all; she was a hobbit.

The girl stumbled out of the water, and Fili hurried to the river’s edge, holding out a hand to show her he was no threat, “wait!” he cried, but it was too late. The girl hurried out of the water and disappeared through the bushes, back the way she had come. Fili scanned the area on the other side of the river, where the hobbit had been, trying to digest what he’d seen.


	3. Chapter Three

“A hobbit?” Kili repeated as the four of them huddled around the campfire that evening, listening to Fili describe what he had seen by the river. The rabbit meat had been meager at best, but it had been something, and none of them complained. As Dean listened to Fili’s account, he stole a few glimpses at Sam who lay against the cave wall beside him, his face illuminated by the orange glow of the fire.

Both younger brothers seemed stronger today, and Dean had been diligent about changing bandages, but they were running low on bandages, and Dean was worried about infection in this place. He’d checked his stitch work, at least every hour, and it encouraged him that Sam was able to sit up on his own, though he could tell his brother was still in a lot of pain and still exhausted from blood loss.

Dean had John Winchester to thank for his knowledge of first aid, for better or worse. His father had taught both of them well. In their line of work, the skills they’d learned had saved them hundreds of times over by now. Bleeding, infections, shock, burns, concussions, poison, they’d encountered it all by now. It was especially necessary when they needed to break out of a hospital prematurely.

But here, in this cave, he not only had to look out for his little brother but for Fili’s as well. It had been necessary to divide his attention between guarding the cave, and caring for Sam and Kili while Fili had been gone. The blonde dwarf had been reluctant to leave his brother in the care of someone he’d only just met, but when it came to hunting for food, Dean had to admit a warrior like Fili probably had more skills than him. After all, he may be a hunter when it came to the paranormal, but as far as finding food, he’d only knew how to hunt out the nearest fast food joint. And Sam and Kili needed nourishment if they were to keep up their strength after their injuries. They’d been lucky that neither one of them had suffered an injury to their internal organs, at least none that Dean could see, but both had lost a great deal of blood, and both had their energy sapped due to shock, so Fili had had no choice but to go out and hunt for food.

“This isn’t a good place for a hobbit,” Kili surmised as he bit into the last of his rabbit. “We should try to help her.”

“She bolted as soon as she saw me,” Fili pointed out with a shrug. “And I don’t know; she seemed as though she knew her way around. Maybe she’s lived here for awhile.”

Kili didn’t look convinced. “We should check it out in the morning,” he suggested. “Maybe she’ll come back.”

“You two should rest longer,” Dean pointed out. He noticed Sam trying to stifle a wince of pain. His little brother was trying to hide it, but he saw. Sam didn’t argue, and that alone made Dean worry. The four of them finished their meal in peace and settled down in the back of the cave for the evening. Silence reigned for a good long while, each of them lost in their own thoughts, each of them staring absentmindedly into the flames of the fire. Finally, Kili broke the silence.

“Fili,” the tone of Kili’s voice made Dean glance in the direction of the dwarves as they sat together. The dark-haired dwarf wore an expression of turmoil and worry. His brother glanced in his direction at the sound of his voice. “Do you think… the battle we were removed from… Azog.”

Fili’s expression became solemn, grim as he stared into the fire. His eyes darkened as he seemed to contemplate what his brother was struggling to say. Dean watched him struggle to find words before prompting him.

“You two were in the middle of something bad, weren’t you,” Sam asked as he shifted against the cave wall, trying to get away from the pain emanating from his wound.

“A battle,” Fili confirmed slowly, his eyes fixed on the fire. “For our ancient homeland.” He explained things to Dean and Sam. About the quest to reclaim Erebor, the company of Thorin Oakenshield, and how they had crossed half the world to get to Erebor, only to come face to face with the dragon and the orcs. How he and Kili had narrowly escaped the dragon’s wrath in Lake-town, and how they’d become separated from Thorin and the others on Ravenhill.

“Thorin was suffering from the dragon sickness,” he mumbled as he stared at the fire. “The curse our family has been burdened with…” He shook his head, suddenly finding something interesting to look at on the cave wall. Sam and Dean waited for him to continue.

“It’s no excuse,” Kili pointed out suddenly, bitterness in his tone as he fixed his brother with a pointed look. “Curse or not…madness or not...”

“Kili,” Fili responded with an equally sharp glare. Dean raised a brow and exchanged looks with Sam. There was a pain in both of the dwarves eyes.

“What curse?” Sam asked, wincing slightly as he sat up a little.

“I never believed it,” Kili said, looking at the two humans. “Until I saw it with my own eyes. It is a sickness our great grandfather King Thror was driven mad for. All he cared about was the gold and the Arkenstone. The madness has passed through the family lines. From Thror to Thrain, and finally to Thorin” He glanced to Fili, a determination in his eyes. “But it will end with him.”

“What makes you so sure, Kili?” Fili’s voice was small, wavering, as he turned to look at his brother. “Don’t you think I haven’t thought of it? That same blood runs through my veins. The same weakness.”

“Well they didn’t have the advantage you do,” Kili pointed out. “Me, Brother. I’ll never let it happen.”

Fili didn’t seem convinced, but he appreciated the devotion his brother had for him. Dean couldn’t help but steal a glance at his own brother. “Hey, whatever, man,” he said, glancing at Fili. “Your little bro is right. Whatever curse you think you might have, it’s no match for pesky little brother. Trust me, I know.” He said the last part with a smirk and received a shove on the shoulder from Sam.

“Yeah…” Fili said, not entirely convinced, but seeing the look of determination on Kili’s face seemed to help a little. Dean could tell there was a lot left unsaid. A lot of hurt feelings, but the look between brothers couldn’t be denied.

“Hey,” he said, getting Fili’s attention. “I’ll tell you one thing, big brother to big brother. No matter what else is out there, no matter how many apocalypses you might have going on, family is always the most important thing. You can get through anything so long as you got your brother.”

“Wow,” Sam spoke up, a teasing tone in his voice. “Hallmark moment.” Dean rolled his eyes. “Shut up,” he replied. He was just about to respond with a retort when the silence of the night was shattered by a far away roar.

“Shit,” Dean was on his feet in a second, quickly stamping out the fire with his foot. “I think that rock giant thing might be out for a midnight hunt. The glow will lead it right to us.”

Dean grabbed his shotgun and hurried to the mouth of the cave, trying to pinpoint where the beast was in relation to them. Another roar, somewhere behind them, gave him an idea.

“It sounds distant,” he said as Fili joined him, sword in hand. “But it’s getting closer.”

“If we stay put, and stay quiet we may be able to go unseen,” Dean suggested as he listened to the roars again.

“But it if finds us in here, we’ll be trapped,” Fili pointed out. Dean swallowed. Just as he said that Dean felt himself quiver. Staggering, he realized it wasn’t him, but the ground. With every massive footstep of the approaching beast, the earth itself trembled. Bracing himself against the wall of the cave, Dean met Fili’s eyes, and he saw the same look of alarm in the dwarf’s eyes. Another shake brought a few boulders down, one clobbering Dean in the head and he staggered to the floor, feeling white hot pain in his head, and the slick of blood running down into his eyes.

“Dean!” Sam’s sudden cry of alarm turned his attention to the younger brothers, who were both gritting their teeth as they staggered to their feet. Boulders fell around them as the cave itself became their most imminent threat.

“Cave in,” Dean muttered to Fili as he rushed for Sam, pulling his brother against him as he helped him to walk. Fili did the same to hold onto Kili.

“The creature is still a distance away,” Sam said as he leaned against Dean who hurried him out into the dark jungle. “Maybe we can outrun it.”

“You better hope so, little brother,” Dean said as he blinked past the blood and disorientation clouding his vision. Darkness threatened the edge of his vision as he willed himself not to pass out.

“This way!” Fili exclaimed as he and Kili took the lead. Dean followed the dwarves, bearing Sam’s weight as his younger brother tried his best to keep up the pace. He could feel Sam’s body tremble as he whimpered a few times under his breath, hinting at the pain he was in. Dean only hoped the movement didn’t jar his handiwork at patching up his brother’s gunshot wound. As he felt moisture against him, he worried that it hadn’t.

A bellowing roar from behind sounded much closer. Fili led them through the jungle to the base of the river he had been at earlier. Dean winced at a headache blossoming behind his eyes as he watched the lazily meandering current before him.

“We have to get across,” Fili suggested as he pulled Kili to the edge. Dean heard a muffled cry from the dark haired dwarf. “It’s okay brother,” Fili soothed.

“I doubt the river is even going to slow it down,” Dean pointed out. “That thing is huge. T-rex huge.”

Fili glanced back at him in confusion. The dwarf most likely had no idea what a t-rex was. It was Kili who spoke up, “Dragon huge?” he suggested. Fili nodded his understanding.

“We have to try,” Fili said. With another roar, the creature suddenly burst into view. The massive rock creature made a b-line for them, massive trees being brushed aside like twigs.

“Come on Sam,” Dean urged as he dove into the water beside the dwarves. Sam groaned and swam desperately, the sense of urgency propelling him. The river got quite deep, and the four of them swam hard against the current, the moonlight above illuminating the waters for them. If they weren’t in a race for their lives, Dean might have thought the peaceful moonlight was tranquil.

The creature lumbered to the edge of the river. It stood a good 20 feet high and must have weighed at least a dozen tons. The ground shook violently with each step. But surprisingly, the beast came to a halt at the banks of the river. Dean stayed afloat in the center of the vast river and glanced behind him in confusion. The beast paced back and forth along the banks and roared angrily, but wouldn’t so much as dip a toe in. Dean didn’t understand. The creature was so massive, the river shouldn’t have been much of an obstacle, but the creature acted as if the mere thought of getting wet was impalatable. Whatever its problem was, Dean wasn’t going to ask questions.

“Come on,” Fili urged as he dragged Kili across to the other side of the river. Dean tugged Sam across. The four of them staggered out of the water and into the thick jungle canopy, leaving the creature behind.

“It didn’t come after us,” Sam said through gritted teeth as he staggered along, leaning heavily on Dean. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Dean admitted. He shivered. The water had been iced cold, and now he was drenched. The blood from his earlier head wound slicked to his face, and the headache was reaching epic proportions now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off.

The four of them trampled through the jungle in the dark. Dawn was still many hours away, and they were utterly exhausted, they had no idea where they were going, and Fili was the only one who wasn’t injured. The blonde dwarf took the lead, though he had no idea where they should be heading.

And then suddenly, the trees parted, and Dean saw the deep ravine a little too late. Fili gave a gasp of surprise as he was lurched forward, the two dwarves toppling off into the chasm before they had a chance to react. Dean tried to stop short but couldn’t fight the force of gravity, having already stepped out into the abyss. The four of them went spiraling down the steep 20-foot drop, all landing in a heap at the bottom, neither of them moving.


End file.
